Imagine if Yahoo! had been named TheInternetDirectoy. Or StarBucks was christened “Premier Coffees”. The names would be far more descriptive than their current ones. But they wouldn’t embody the essence or spirit of the companies they represent. Even if they offered the exact same goods and services, it’s unlikely Yahoo! or StarBucks would enjoy the same market share they now possess if given the more descriptive, and arguably accurate, names.

Now why is that?

In short, great brand names leverage our emotions. They resonate with the experiential right side of the brain vs. the logical left lobe. And emotions carry more motivational “charge” than logic. People buy emotionally and then justify rationally. And because great brand names create mental “pictures” they equate to a proverbial thousand descriptive words. They are the zipped files, the condensed soup, the computer macros, that all expand and unfold in our minds every time they are seen or heard.

Creating emotionally charged names requires knowledge, expertise and a knack for wording. The first place to find positively charged names is in the words themselves. Words have equity and that equity can be transferred into a company or product name. For example, a company that wanted their customers to see their products and services as fresh, new and exciting borrowed the emotional charge associated with the word “virgin”. That’s how we have Virgin Airlines and Virgin Records. A computer company demonstrated its fresh, friendly approach to the industry with the consumable name Apple. A campy clothing company exuded adventure with its name Banana Republic. An online job board wanted to impress employers and job seekers with its massive listings… hence Monster. And need I mention Amazon? Borrowing on the attributes intrinsic to a word or phrase is a natural way to instantly instill emotion in a brand name.

But with more and more dictionary words being used, hoarded and trademarked, what’s a company to do? Another way is to simply put familiar positive words into unique combinations. Witness our previous example of StarBucks. What’s brighter than a star or has more mass appeal than money? Does it say coffee? No, but it sounds more appealing than “The Coffee Corral”. And more importantly, company names rarely exist in a vacuum. They are on a sign above the store, or on a proposal or on a business card being handed over by a salesperson. There is contextual support that helps fill in the blank so the name doesn’t have to do all the literal, descriptive explaining. That’s where a lot of companies err. They make the name explain their category rather than evoke their benefits.

Yet another way of accomplishing this task is by creating a word that sounds “ish”. When I say “ish” I mean it sounds like it matches the company or product- even if it doesn’t make sense. An example you ask? But of course. My favorite is Viagra. It has the “V” of vigor and vitality, plus the “iagra” of Niagra. While not an existing word, it plays on existing, familiar parts and patterns of speech that create a natural flow to the name. Hence the name Viagra is, in my book, “ish”. It fits the product and the category. Cialis doesn’t. Which means Cialis will have to buy the emotional bond with lots of emotion-rich (and expensive) advertising. It can be done, but it will cost. A whole lot.

Borrowing existing word equity, creating unique combinations and inventing “ish” words. Just three of the ways to develop a great brand name. Try each of these techniques and if you can’t come up with a name, ask a really good Scrabble player!

Phil Davis - President, Tungsten Brand Marketing

Phil’s life goal of “creating environments where people thrive” reflects his desire to assist in personal, professional and business growth. Phil founded and ran a full service ad agency for over 17 years and now works full time as a business naming and branding consultant. Phil resides with wife Michelle and four energetic offspring outside Asheville, North Carolina.

For more information visit: PureTungsten.com

Email: Phil@PureTungsten.com

One of the most powerful offers you can use in your advertising is the word Free.

But, you may well ask… how can I make a profit giving my products and services away without charging for them?

Which is the exact reason why you need to understand the ‘LVC Formula’ which stands for the Lifetime Value of a Client!

Here’s how it works. Let’s imagine for a moment you own a beauty salon. Now if you get a new customer, they may pay you $80 for their first treatment.

But how much is this $80 client really worth?

After all, most clients will continue to buy off you for many years to come.

For instance, let’s imagine your average client returns for a beauty treatment 8 times a year… and remains a client for 2 years.

$80 (price of consultation) x 8 (purchases a year) x 2 (number of years)

Now if you have a calculator handy, you’ll work out the value of this client as $1280.00.

And if your profit margin is 40% this calculates to a $512 profit per client.

Let’s imagine we sent a letter to all the nearby businesses offering women a free manicure valued at $30.00 (I’m not a beauty therapist, so please forgive me if all these figures are way out).

And if the manicure costs you $7 in products and 30 minutes of your time (which if you’re not busy… you’d just be sitting on your butt anyway!)

So effectively the $7 investment could have just made you $512 in profit.

And how easy is it to give away a free manicure?

Or for other industries…

·A free car service
·A free dancing lesson
·A free consultation
·A free ice cream
·A free report of some sort

The secret lies in giving away something which has a high perceived value, but actually costs you very little to produce.

Why does it work so well?

Using the word ‘Free’ in your advertising STOPS inertia. You see, people are happy with their current hairdresser… or their mechanic.

But when they get an opportunity to trial a product or service for FREE – there’s something irresistible and risk free about it, isn’t there?

A word of warning though. Make sure you offer the best possible service… otherwise people will not come back, and you’ll get a bad name very quickly.

And of course, where possible, make sure you collect a database… and measure your results.

What could you offer for FREE? Write down a few ideas now… and start implementing this stuff.

It could have an almost overnight effect on your sales.

Scott Bywater
Copywriting That SELLS
Level 12 / 418a Elizabeth Street
Surry Hills, NSW, Australia
1300 88 21 91 / + 61 2 9282 6445

Scott Bywater is a professional direct response copywriter and the author of Cash-Flow Advertising. To get a complimentary copy of his special report ‘7 Ways To Increase Your Turnover… No Matter What The State Of The Economy’ (valued at $29.95) and a free subscription to his "Copywriting Selling Secrets" ezine where you’ll discover how to write ads and sales letters that make people line up and practically beg you to do business with them visit his web site at http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au

What about me? Are you asking yourself this question? If not you should be. Don’t wait until you are in crisis mode when you are losing your job or your business before you think "what about me?"

Here are a few points to consider.

No one is indispensable. What’s your best option to make yourself essential?
What would happen if you lost your job?
Are you expecting a raise this year? How much?
What would happen if you were asked to locate?
What would you do if you suddenly decide you can’t stand your job anymore?

Get the picture. Keep these considerations in mind and put yourself in the forefront of this thought process.

So what about you? Are you waiting for the ax to fall or are you sitting on the sidelines letting events carry you along? Are you actively pursuing avenues that will help you manage your destiny rather than it managing you?

I’m always amazed but the number of colleagues who come out of the woodwork when they get in trouble. I have been providing them with a game plan for years, but it has fallen on deaf ears. When the going gets rough they then call for help.

The best advice I can give is to be proactive. Get a routine established in self- promotion before it’s too late. Plan a self promotion activity every week so that you constantly focus on your visibility.

Here are some self promotion ideas for consideration:
Write an article.
Make a speech.
Write a press release.
Enter a competition.
Get an interview.
Start an e-zine.
Get a personal website.
Pick up the phone and call old contacts.
Send out a clever "how are" you card.
Give a testimonial.
Attend a conference.

Does that give you enough ideas? Every week you should schedule at least one of the above activities. The summer is an ideal time to get started because work is a little less hectic. Here’s a hint. Use the dog days of summer as a theme. Have a lot of fun with this one with great cards, funny dog cartoons and other creative ideas.

FYI: Dog Days is the name for the sultriest period of summer, from about July 3 to Aug. 11. Named in early times by observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean, the period was reckoned as extending from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction of Sirius (the dog star) and the sun.

So happy dog days of self promotion. Get busy because the next time I hear from you I don’t want to learn you have "gone to the dogs."

JoAnn Hines’ specialty is PACKAGING PEOPLE. Whether you want to be paid more, you just lost your job, or you want to progress in the one you have, Ms. Hines advice and expertise can help you transform your personal brand. She can show you how to package yourself and make your brand a hot commodity. It’s easy once you know the ropes and begin to utilize her insider’s secrets. She shows you step by step how to increase your visibility, credibility and marketability with easy to use tutorials and templates.

It is time to get started "Packaging Yourself." Email me the Chief People Packager @ pkgcoach@aol.com

When you read the newspaper, do you read advertisements as closely as you read news stories? Do you believe advertising as readily as you believe news stories? I don’t and neither do most people I know.

Because we have advertising shoved at us from every angle we tend to ignore it, but we pay attention to news or public interest stories. Not only do we pay more attention, we also are more likely to believe news stories than your basic advertisements. When your news is published either online, on the radio, TV or in newspapers people automatically feel that since it’s being published it must be worthy information.

I read somewhere that “Advertising is what you pay for. Publicity is what you pray for”. This is so true. You can spend a fortune on advertising and yes, it will bring you some traffic but traffic is only part of what you need and it stops when the advertising stops.

What you really need is PUBLICITY - free publicity so that your information reaches your potential customers and people will begin to get to “know” you. When people see and hear your name over and over they will begin to think of you as an expert in your field. They will trust your judgment and buy your products or the products you endorse. They will also recommend you to others which in turn cause a chain reaction and the process starts all over again. One of the best ways to get free publicity is by writing articles and press releases then submitting them to the third party sites and newspapers for publishing. Plus with a price like FREE, why not take full advantage of it?

The most important thing to remember when writing news is to write a STORY not a sales pitch. Don’t you hate it when you ask someone about a product and instead of them telling you what it is and how you could benefit from it they go into this “elevator speech” about its features and why it’s a good product (“it comes with this and that, plus as an added bonus you get….”) Please! If I wanted to hear a sales pitch I’d turn on the TV.

Sales people call it “selling features instead of benefits” but among news editors this is called, “selling the store, not the story” and it’s the WRONG way to get your news published.

You should be trying to sell a STORY connected to the product instead of trying to sell the product itself. Why you ask? Because people love stories! We’ve been listening to and telling stories for centuries and we will continue to for a long time to come. People will pay attention if they think they’re going to hear a good story but will turn away if you give them a sales pitch.

By writing like a storyteller, you will get free publicity which will increase your traffic and your sales.

Melody Spier is a work at home mom of two teens. She is the owner of Ballyhoo Virtual Services a Virtual Assistant business catering to women in business. She specializes in business marketing and promotion with article and press release submissions, blog maintenance as well as many other services.

You can contact Melody by visiting http://www.BallyhooVA.com or by email Mel@BallyhooVA.com

As consumers, we don’t really think about the importance of branding. We just seem to go with the flow of brand names that have become synonymous with our daily living. But the impact of a name reinforces the importance of branding when we promote our business. Think about one of the world’s most popular athletic shoe companies, Nike. The importance of branding is exemplified by the fact that when you hear Nike, you think athletics and "Just Do It." A great brand name and association has catapulted Nike to the top of its industry.

When you are considering the name of your company, you need to remember the importance of branding. Deciding on a name is not a fluke, but instead is a well thought out process and analysis of names and meaning. The importance of branding begins with creating a simple name for your company. Consumers remember simple. Also, making sure your name can be associated with a positive value, characteristic, or position is part of the importance of branding. Consumers like products to which they can associate positive qualities.

Another aspect of the importance of branding is that your name must be different and unique. If your name is too close to another company’s then people are likely to mix you up, which reduces revenue. Also, the importance of branding needs to be voiced to your employees so that your message is clear to all of your employees and the public. If you have a vision or goal statement, then you need to voice the importance of branding here also. Employees need to understand the importance of branding so that it is communicated in the office and to consumers every day. The message you are trying to get across in branding depends on your employees putting it out there to consumers.

Still don’t think there is any importance of branding as it applies to your company? Well consider that brand name recognition can increase your profits by between 10 to 20 percent. If you are looking to increase your profits, then you may come to understand the importance of branding. Analyze the importance of branding and determine how you can use your name to promote positive qualities. Encourage your employees to learn about the importance of branding and to put the branding message out to the consumer. Believe in your brand name, what it means, and consumers will follow.

Hopefully this articles has proven useful to you. Download my Free E-Book and receive valuable tips, strategies and techniques designed to grow a successful Home Based Business. Receive The Free Quick Start Workbook.

Copyright © Charles Fuchs is an established Six Figure Income earner and one of the top online marketer’s. He specializes in helping people start their very own Work at Home and Home Based Business on the internet.

I grant permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way.

Did you know generating positive media coverage is four times more effective than advertising? Getting exposure in the media is far-reaching, utterly credible and free. As an added bonus you may well attract an audience that you never anticipated. But talking to reporters can be risky and threatening for first timers. You can say too much and lose control of the interview. You can say the wrong thing and damage your reputation. You can say "No Comment" and miss an opportunity.

The only way to build your profile, brand and image is by learning the secrets of how the media works. How can you do that with limited time? Here are 5 Tips.

1. Know Your Strengths. What are you an expert at? What is your specialized area of expertise? What unique services or information can you offer? Position yourself as the expert.

2. Clarify your communication objectives? What do you want to achieve? To inform or entertain? To provide information? To build a profile? To influence public opinion? Personal marketing? Marketing or launching a new product or service?

3. Define your target audience & identify the best channels of communication to reach them? Who is your target audience? General public? Customers? Competitors? Suppliers? What is the best way to reach your target audience? TV, Radio, Internet, newspapers - local or Statewide, specialist or generalist, industry publications, community newsletters?

4. What is your key message? Distill what you want to say into three key points. What are the feature and benefits to your target market and what examples can you give to provide evidence and credibility to your message?

5. Be brief when contacting the media. The media are very busy and under a lot of pressure to meet deadlines. Don’t waste their time. Target who is covering stories in your area, contact them and make your pitch of a story idea brief and to the point. If they want more information have a 1-page media release with the details ready to fax or email to them.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com.

My business logo and color scheme started one lovely spring day in my office, after two years of working with words and images. I purchased some rubber stamps and played with them. A logo emerged: simple, elegant, with the right feeling for my business. I took the ideas from the stamps and played with Photoshop on the computer until I had created an original business logo that felt totally right.

Luckily for me, in my day job I worked among some of the top designers in the world at the Department of Architecture at MIT. An elegant Italian Ph.D. student named Maria was doing me the favor of giving me feedback on my business logo. She loved it! That was reassuring, but what really helped was what she said next.

“And this can be your color scheme, too! You can get green boxes, or white bags or boxes with green ribbons, and make all your packaging match up with this. Oh, it will be so pretty!”

This started the wheels turning for me. Until then, I had gone with a rich, sparkly look. My display had used deep colors: black velvet, sheer purple fabric with silver snowflakes, and black velvet displays. Using this logo, and getting the advice from Maria, meant that I would need to go in a different direction.

I decided that the color scheme for everything in my business would be the colors of my logo: lime green, white and grey. First I designed business cards that were professionally printed on white glossy cardstock. Then I designed my website in these and coordinating colors.

For packaging, I used kraft boxes with round logo stickers, then moved to organza bags in white and pale lime green. I gradually changed my show setup so I had the perfect color tablecloths in pale lime green, with white and black displays and fixtures; even my tent is green. I also added a little color and whimsy in the form of bright bowls from which I hung flowerpot creatures purchased from a crafts shop. The creatures have proven so popular that I bought extra to resell at shows!

Little by little I continue to improve my setup, making it more elegant and professional. Each time I set up, I receive many compliments on the setup itself, and it does attract customers. People find the color scheme peaceful and inviting, and it doesn’t compete with the jewelry. I also found this when I designed a brochure. The jewelry is quite colorful, and the subtlety of my color scheme provides a good background for it.

My advice for when you are setting up a business logo, website and/or booth is to find a color scheme that matches you and the feeling you want your business to convey. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different pieces to get the look you want; it has taken me three years to get to this point, and it’s still developing. You may want it to be as colorful as the rainbow or as sophisticated as basic black. Whatever it is, the important thing is to be consistent. That way, people will start to recognize the look of your business and remember you, helping to build business over time.

Author Susan Midlarsky of Aspiring Arts handcrafts jewelry with stones that harmonize well and are beneficial to the human body, color combinations that are connected to refinement, and sometimes offerings from nature. She has also recently started making glass beads; you can see her progress at her online blog. Susan loves the magical glow people feel upon finding a piece of jewelry that suits them or fills a need.

The ability to lead, persuade and influence are integral skills for effective managers. The capability of telling a story that inspires, motivates and informs is an essential part of this process. In an age of convergence in the media and increased scepticism over traditional communication methods, a new breed of managers and leaders is emerging that sees the media as an opportunity and not a threat. They use the media in a pro-active way to build their organisation’s image, reputation and identity.

Business Review Weekly’s cover story "Future Leaders" editorial reported "new chief executives must have better presentation skills, for they will be required to perform in the electronic and printed media. Poor presentation will be perceived as a weakness in leadership, and arrogance or condescending attitudes will only be tolerated while the company is on top," (BRW December 14, 1998 P.14).

So what is the best way to deal with the media to build and grow your business?

Well, I believe you should treat them as you would your best customer or client. All the rules that apply to dealing with customers and providing outstanding customer service should apply when you interact with the media.

Remember the media are very busy and the better you can help them by providing information, story ideas and leads the more effective you will be in getting your businesses name or story in the media.

My role with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, as both a broadcaster interviewing key decision makers and as a manager providing editorial leadership for program makers, allowed me to observe first hand how effective leaders use the media to get their message across.

I now share this knowledge and experience with a range of clients to add value, improve performance and build capabilities. Our company has built a reputation for excellence in media strategy, issues management, change management, marketing communications, media training, financial journalism and professional speaking. A practical approach is focused on helping people strategically manage real-life situations.

The most effective organisations that manage the media the best are those that take a customer service approach.

Here are 10 success tips that will help managers and leaders get the best from the media by taking a customer service approach.

1. Know Your Strengths. What are you an expert at? What is your specialized area of expertise? What unique services or information can you offer? Position yourself as the expert.

2. Clarify your communication objectives? What do you want to achieve? To inform or entertain? To provide information? To build a profile? To influence public opinion? Personal marketing? Marketing or launching a new product or service?

3. Define your target audience? Who is your target audience? General public? Customers? Competitors? Suppliers? What age are they, what level of education, what beliefs and values, geographical location, how do they use the media?

4. Identify the best channels of communication. What is the best way to reach your target audience? TV, Radio, Internet, newspapers - local or Statewide, specialist or generalist, industry publications, community newsletters?

5. What is your key message? Distill what you want to say into three key points. Work out the best time to deliver this message and who will deliver it.

6. Build your case? What are the features, advantages and benefits of your message for your target audience? What evidence and proof do you have?

7. What is the hook? What will make your message or news release stand out from the rest? Be creative. Use a press release to control the information flow.

8. Develop long-term relationships with the media. Visit and meet them face to face. Network and get to know them.

9. Use the Three Golden Rules to Perform at your Best = Know Your Topic, Be Prepared, Relax.

10. Seek Professional Help. For maximum impact, effectiveness and value seek the advice of a media and communications professional.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com.

As a beginner, you would be forgiven for thinking that marketing is simply advertising your product or service, how wrong you are.

Marketing is the art of allowing people to know that your business exists. You could be selling brand new BMW’s at $1 each, but if nobody ever got to hear of your amazing deals then nobody could ever buy into the bargain. You would be left, scratching your head, thinking how do those dealers keep selling them?

You must get your message out by every method known to mankind. This can be by direct advertisement, by personal contact, by phone, by chat room, by ebook, by viral methods, by contests, by giveaways, by conference, by affiliation, by broadcast, by joint venture, by email, by by by, the list is endless. The subtleties of branding and image all play their vital roles.

Take this strange event for example, if I flew over Disney World one day in a small aircraft, like you do, then buzzed around for a while and wrote my name, Pete Lauder, in smoke, into the sky. Everyone that looked up would say Pete Lauder, who’s he?

Most would ignore the whole affair and carry on with the day out, but a small element would think, Pete Lauder, I’ll find out. On returning home they would most likely tap my name into Google and find one of my web pages, but there would be no mention of any event in Florida, in fact, as much as I love Florida, I live in the UK. They would then go on to read my site, trying to find out about this strange sky writing. As a result of visiting my sites, some readers would buy my product, some would subscribe to my newsletter, but they would all remember my name, perhaps only subconsciously, but remember me they would.

You don’t need to fly over Disney World, be clever and use the net.

Take ten years and propel yourself into the future, a major recession has hit the western world and everyone is suffering. The people that were once too cautious to venture into business, now see it for what it is, a means of survival. They want to maintain the lifestyle they once knew, and surely want to add to it, so they begin to look around the internet at some of the offers that bombard their inbox daily.

Very soon they will come across the words, by Pete Lauder. Our prospect will instantly, subconciously connect with the name, because they have seen it before, and as if by magic, our prospect will follow me down any path I am steering at the time.

Because I’ve been working away in the background for ten years with my marketing, I am still around, and my name is a respected authority on internet business, and quite rightly so. I am sitting pretty, but my business still needs prospects.

By doing what I do now, I can guarantee that there will never be a shortage of new and eager prospects knocking on my door for the rest of my life. Your mission is to get yourself known and accepted, by every means possible. I am an experienced copywriter, but prefer to illustrate my messages by highlighting a method and allowing the prospect to work it out, this is a very powerful marketing technique, and you should be using it.

Marketing is never advertising for the moment, as I write this, although it is a legitimate, informative, published article, it is still, a form of marketing.

Just for the record, do you remember my name?

Pete Lauder is an internet publisher and success coach with a wealth of practical business experience. You can learn all aspects of business and success, by creating systems that allow you to earn as you learn. http://homebizassistant.com

The ability to lead, persuade and influence are integral skills for effective leaders. The capability of telling a story that inspires, motivates and informs is an essential part of this process. In an age of convergence in the media and increased scepticism over traditional communication methods, a new breed of leader is emerging that sees the media as an opportunity and not a threat. They use the media in a pro-active way to build their community or organisation’s image, reputation and identity.

Business Review Weekly’s cover story "Future Leaders" editorial reported "new chief executives must have better presentation skills, for they will be required to perform in the electronic and printed media. Poor presentation will be perceived as a weakness in leadership, and arrogance or condescending attitudes will only be tolerated while the company is on top," (BRW December 14, 1998 P.14).

The WA Rural Women in Leadership program is designed for women 40 years and above to enhance their personal leadership skills through a range of learning modules.

I found the women I was working with in a half-day module on "Managing the Media" highly motivated, articulate and committed to community development in their respective regions.

My role with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, as both a broadcaster interviewing key decision makers and as a manager providing editorial leadership for program makers, allowed me to observe first hand how effective leaders use the media to get their message across.

I now share this knowledge and experience with a range of clients to add value, improve performance and build capabilities. Our company has built a reputation for excellence in media strategy, issues management, change management, marketing communications, media training, financial journalism and professional speaking. A practical approach is focused on helping people strategically manage real-life situations.

Getting positive exposure in the media can be more powerful than any advertising campaign. It is far-reaching, utterly credible and free. As an added bonus, you may well attract an audience you had never anticipated.

But talking to reporters can be risky and threatening for first timers. You can say too much and lose control of the interview. You can say the wrong thing and damage your reputation. Or you can say "no comment" and lose an opportunity.

The only way to build your reputation is by learning the secrets of how the media works.

The benefits for rural women on knowing and understanding how the media works are increased confidence and a greater opportunity to make their views, ideas and solutions heard.

In working with groups, I share with them what I believe are 10 tips for working with the media:

10 Tips

These are 10 success tips that will help leaders get the best from the media.

1. Know Your Strengths. What are you an expert at? What is your specialized area of expertise? What unique services or information can you offer? Position yourself as the expert.

2. Clarify your communication objectives? What do you want to achieve? To inform or entertain? To provide information? To build a profile? To influence public opinion? Personal marketing? Marketing or launching a new product or service?

3. Define your target audience? Who is your target audience? General public? Customers? Competitors? Suppliers? What age are they, what level of education, what beliefs and values, geographical location, how do they use the media?

4. Identify the best channels of communication. What is the best way to reach your target audience? TV, Radio, Internet, newspapers - local or Statewide, specialist or generalist, industry publications, community newsletters?

5. What is your key message? Distill what you want to say into three key points. Work out the best time to deliver this message and who will deliver it.

6. Build your case? What are the features, advantages and benefits of your message for your target audience? What evidence and proof do you have?

7. What is the hook? What will make your message or news release stand out from the rest? Be creative. Use a press release to control the information flow.

8. Develop long-term relationships with the media. Visit and meet them face to face. Network and get to know them.

9. Use the Three Golden Rules to Perform at your Best = Know Your Topic, Be Prepared, Relax.

10. Seek Professional Help. For maximum impact, effectiveness and value seek the advice of a media and communications professional.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com.